


Papa's Ex-Girlfriend

by Lacrow



Category: SPY x FAMILY (Manga)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Minor Spoilers, Romance, crazy ex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:06:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25224349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lacrow/pseuds/Lacrow
Summary: Robert was dead and buried. All that was left was Loid Forger, and once Operation Strix was completed that persona would be tossed aside as well. There was no man to love, really, though try telling that to his fake wife and the woman he pretended to date before her.
Relationships: Loid Forger | Twilight/Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess
Comments: 64
Kudos: 232





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was planning on holding off to post this, but the devastation I felt at the lack of a chapter this week ultimately forced my hand. Was gonna throw in with my one-shot collection, but it ended up turning into a multi-chapter thing so I just decided to keep it separate. Stay tuned for future updates, and thank you for reading!

The heat of a hot summer evening rolled off windows overlooking the streets below. Peeking out from behind drawn curtains into the streetlight speckled darkness, a pair of big green eyes scanned for signs of a familiar figure on his way back home from a long day of work. They lingered for a time in the hopes of spying something, though ultimately would become disappointed when nothing was found. Light from the living room was muffled once more as the curtains fell back into place, and those same green eyes spun around to find crimson looking down at them.

"Loid will get home eventually," Yor smiled reassuringly to her daughter. "He said he'd be late today, remember?"

"But it's dark, mama!" Anya furrowed her brows. "Papa always says it's dangerous to be out late by yourself!"

"That may be true, but I don't think we have to worry about your papa, Anya," Yor replied, stifling a giggle.

 _He could have been captured by a mob boss, or locked in a warehouse with no way to escape!_ Both were equally possible in Anya's mind, since the only time her papa ever stayed out this late was for really important secret missions. She didn't really get a chance to figure out exactly what he was doing that night though, since he kind of took off in a hurry and didn't give her enough time to read his thoughts. All he said was something came up unexpectedly at work and he had to leave. Mama of course thought he was talking about _spychiatrist_ work, but Anya knew better.

She frowned at her mama. Likewise, Yor drooped a little at how put out Anya was without her father. Things were a bit reversed at the moment; Loid was almost always home first, and it was typically _Yor_ who ended up coming home late more often than not. Her gig as an assassin demanded as such and, even though this whole family set up was supposed to just be a cover, Yor felt guilty for always arriving so late and forcing Loid to do most of the heavy lifting when it came to Anya. True, he was her father after all, but...well, at this point, _she_ was Anya's parent, too.

Yor gave her daughter an apprehensive smile. "How about we stay up and wait for him? I can make us tea and coco!"

Anya's face lit up brighter than the streetlamps outside. "Ooh! Can I have marshmallows in my cup, mama?"

"Mhm," Yor nodded. "And we can put on our PJ's and watch Bondman together until Loid gets home."

The complete one-eighty Anya pulled brought an immediate grin to her mama's face. The smallest Forger went from depressed to elated in no time flat, and raced her mother to the kitchen in order to help her prepare their hot beverages. Jumping over the lounging family dog, Anya forgot all about her papa for a brief moment and instead pretended _she_ was the spy in the family. Darting around the corner beam of the kitchen, she stuck her head in to scope the place out and make sure the coast was clear. Once satisfied, she motioned for the mama to proceed; cautiously, of course.

Yor smiled at her daughter's imagination and filed into the kitchen obediently. She started to grab all the things needed to make everything; kettle, pot, milk, herbs, chocolate, and of course, water. It'd take a little while to get it all going though, so Yor instructed Anya to go ahead and get changed in the meantime. Anya flashed her mama a salute and promptly scurried away towards her room. The resulting shuffle of her feet was enough to perk Bond's interest, and he chased after her. The duo disappeared and reappeared a moment later, this time with Anya fully outfitted for the evening's mission. Together with Bond, she scampered into the living room and turned on the TV. She changed the programming from papa's news to Bondman, and promptly hopped onto the couch right after.

Bond assumed his position at her feet. His big, fluffy tail kept smacking Anya in her leg, but she didn't mind. She had everything she needed at the moment; PJ's, cartoons, doggie, and, of course, mama. Anya looked up at Yor as she walked in a moment later, carrying with her two steaming hot cups. She placed the one with coco in front of her daughter with a smile, then explained she needed to go change herself. Anya obeyed her request to not drink until she got back, though that was easier said than done. Anya stared at the cup in front of her with great interest in her mama's absence. It took everything she had not to reach over and partake, but a good spy knew how to restrain herself. Papa had taught her that much, and he was the greatest spy in the whole world.

Thankfully though, it didn't take Yor long to finish changing. She arrived a little bit later, sporting the same nightgown she always wore to bed. Brandishing a blanket, Yor took up the spot next to her daughter and covered them both with it. Anya gave her mama an open-mouth grin, and Yor likewise beamed back down at her. Quickly, Anya fell into place with her mama; she found a good spot and cuddled up next to her, though not before Yor pulled her feet up like she was riding side-saddle on a horse. Legs tucked underneath her, mama became the ultimate soft pillow.

And that's how it went. For a time, the sounds of capguns on the TV were all that could be heard along with Anya's pointed laughter at whatever shenanigans followed thereafter. Yor sipped her tea pleasantly, not really paying attention to what was going on in the cartoon but smiling at Anya's excitement all the same. Hearing her daughter laugh was the highlight of her time as the Forger mom, and she'd have been hard pressed to pretend otherwise. There was no real shame in it, anyway. After all, Anya was an adorable little girl (despite what Loid might have acted like sometimes).

Thoughts of her fake husband soon captured Yor's attention, though. She admittedly was a little concerned about how late he was; it was far past Anya's usual bedtime and, even though it was a Friday and there would be no school in the morning, Yor still found it odd that he wasn't back to at least tuck her in to bed. For all the grumbling and bemoaning Anya's father did, Loid was very good about making sure she had everything she needed. That included much needed sleep which, Yor supposed, she wasn't being very respectful towards at the moment. He'd probably be upset seeing her up so late, now that she thought about it...

"Papa will be happy to see us, mama!" Anya chimed without breaking eye contact with the TV. "Don't worry!"

Yor blinked. She pried her eyes away from the front door and stared at her daughter for a moment. The little girl continued to snicker at Bondman's antics, and didn't even so much as spare her a glance. With that said, Yor eventually relented and smiled to herself. Loid was right; Anya was very perceptive for a little girl. Perhaps that's just how it was with small children. Yuri was always smart as well, although maybe Yor just lucked out and happened to have a rather intelligent family. A knowing daughter. A dedicated younger brother. A smart, handsome doctor for a husband.

Yor became flustered; she didn't need to add on that handsome part. Embarrassed, Yor sucked her tea down just a little bit faster. She ultimately didn't realize that Anya had heard her thoughts and secretly gave her mama a side-eye grin. Before she could notice though, Anya went right back to being the cute, unassuming daughter again. Besides, reruns of Bondman beckoned. It was the only thing keeping her mind off her papa's absence, besides of course her mama's hot coco. She greedily sucked some down as she sunk deeper into the crook of Yor's lap.

The Forger women remained that way for a time. Despite the lingering mugginess outside, inside their apartment was downright frigid with the A/C on full blast. The blanket became a necessity as the evening progressed, as were refills of tea and coco. It was pleasant and cozy. A Friday night that was almost complete, save for one glaring omission that became more and more noticeable as time went on.

At a certain point, Yor looked up at the clock on the wall and frowned. It was close to 9 o'clock, and still Loid hadn't shown up. Even she started to worry, though made sure to keep a straight face for her daughter's sake. At the very least, Anya seemed too preoccupied with cartoons to realize how much time had passed. And, Yor supposed, it would make it all the more satisfying when her papa finally did come home from work. That is, of course, if something hadn't happened that would cause him to be so late...an accident on his way back? Muggers? Robbers? _Murderers?_

Yor's head started to spin, but she pulled herself out of it; _of course_ Loid was fine! There was no reason to assume otherwise. He was more than capable of taking care of himself, and she refused to entertain the idea that he'd let himself become the target of some ne'er do wells. Yor shook her head and shirked off any remaining doubts. Loid was probably on his way back right now. Yup, he was probably walking up the stairs at that very moment. Soon, she and Anya would hear the jingle of keys. The knob would turn. Door would open. There, standing in front of them, would be-

-A sudden knock.

Anya hopped in her mama's lap. She blinked, as did Yor, and the two ladies looked at one another. Unsure as to whether or not they heard correctly, they both waited to see if it happened again. The sound of knuckles against wood came again a moment later, except this time as a string in quick succession. Hurried. Forceful. Yor raised a brow and and squeezed her daughter's arm in a silent command to let her up. Anya scooted over obediently and continued to stare at the door as her mama made her way over. More knocking, this time followed by a voice.

"Dammit, I know you're in there Robert! Answer the door!"

A woman. She didn't sound all too happy, either, though Yor had no idea who Robert was. Wrong door, most likely. Yor deflated slightly; she felt a little less on edge now. She wasn't particularly thrilled about answering the door at such a late hour however, and couldn't help her expression from souring a little as she unlocked it and turned the knob. A blonde woman's face appeared as the door swung open. She stood a little taller than Yor, and wore a short haircut that went just above her shoulders. A fancy coat covered her, and she gave the impression of someone...not pleasant.

The moment Yor appeared before her, the stranger's eyes zeroed in on her. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Excuse me?" Yor narrowed her gaze. What a rude woman. "I'll ask you to watch your language in front of my daughter."

"Daughter?" the woman's eyes widened. She looked over Yor's shoulder to find Anya there staring from the couch. "...I need to talk to Robert, _now."_

"There's no one with that name who lives here," Yor replied tersely. She gripped the doorknob tightly. "Just my husband and I, our daughter, and our dog."

Bond boofed at the mention of him. He stretched on the floor before standing tall as he always did. The Forger hound waddled over next to Yor and sat obediently, ready to look intimidating should the need arise. The woman glanced at Bond and seemed only slightly put off by his presence. She was still mostly focused on Yor though, and gave the woman a look that did not at all seem friendly.

"I've been looking for Robert for months," the woman growled. "I know he lives here! You can't fool me!"

"My husband's name is Loid, _"_ Yor corrected coldly. Her fingers twitched. "I told you, there's no Robert here. Please leave."

The woman tilted her head slightly. She scanned Yor up and down, then Bond, then gave Anya one final glance. "If that's the case, can I talk to _Loid?"_

"No, he's out at the moment." At this point, Yor was already starting to shut the door. "My daughter and I are waiting for him to come home, now if you'll please excuse us..."

Silently watching from the sidelines, Anya clamored over herself to get a better look at the stranger before mama closed the door on her. She gave a nasty look before being unceremoniously evicted from the Forger residence, and Yor gave a heavy sigh as she locked everything up behind her. Again, Anya didn't get a chance to read anybody's thoughts. It all happened too quickly. Even if she had enough time, Anya probably wouldn't have; admittedly, she was a little shaken up at the moment. It must have been obvious, too, since mama looked at her and smiled reassuringly.

"It's alright, Anya," Yor eased. She flattened out her nightgown a bit. "Some people just don't know how to act when they're clearly mistaken."

"Who's Robert?" Anya piped up. She hid her face in the armrest, with only her eyes peeking out to view her mama with.

Yor shrugged. "Well, whoever he is, it sounds like the two of them had a falling out."

"A falling out?" Anya furrowed her brows in confusion. "What'd they fall out of?"

Yor shook her head and smiled. "That just means they got into a fight or argument and stopped talking to each other."

Anya's eyes widened. "Promise you and papa won't have a falling out _,_ mama?"

"Of course not," Yor reassured her. "I don't think there's anything Loid could do that would make me stop talking to him."

Anya picked her head up and smiled in relief. Yor giggled a little and motioned to the shared spot on the sofa. There was quickly a reshuffle of bodies; Yor assumed her position, followed by Anya atop her and Bond at their feet. Within a minute, they had picked back up where they left off. Lukewarm drinks. Cartoons. Cuddling. Still no papa, but neither Yor nor Anya focused on it too much. Mama was more than enough at the moment, Anya thought to herself fondly. Sometimes she forgot how cool she could be sometimes, and it took things like her handling the crazy lady to make her remember that from time to time. Anya pried her eyes from the TV to look up at Yor, and spared her a pink-faced smile. Mama gave her the same look, before both looked back to continue watching Bondman once more.

* * *

Once her foot touched concrete, Karen spun around to look up at the stairs she'd just descended.

Maybe she'd handled things a bit too roughly. Maybe Robert wasn't living in this particular apartment building like she thought he was. The info that some of her daddy's boys had given her seemed reliable at the time, but at the end of the day nothing was one hundred percent. They'd warned her as much, but she didn't listen. All she wanted was to see Robert again. That woman, the one who answered the door, kind of got caught up in things. For once, Karen felt a little guilty. She should've let up, at least for the little girl's sake, anyway.

She still didn't like the look that woman gave her though.

Karen had half a mind to confront her further, but knew that wasn't the way to go about things. Over the past few months, she'd admittedly learned a little bit of the importance of patience. If not, she'd have simply given up on the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. It would have been a very _Karen_ thing to do; toss something aside and get something new, just like her daddy used to do for her when she was a child. Toy broke? Get a new one. School was too hard? Drop out and get a private tutor. Even as an adult the same held true, except with the one thing she _really_ wanted.

Karen gave a frustrated sigh. She turned back around to start marching home. Back to the hotel where she'd only just arrived at hours before, and would continue to remain until she finally could track down Robert. Confront him. Ask him why he left in the first place, before begging him to come back with her. Make amends to daddy. Clear up the static. Get back together and, ultimately, live happily ever after.

She wasn't a starry-eyed little girl. Her time orchestrating small time crimes from her daddy's shadow had toughened her up somewhat. Things weren't so blindly cut-and-dry, but they _could be_ for the right price. Money. Resources. Power. Everyone was looking for something and whatever the reason was that Robert had left her for, Karen knew she could sate it somehow. She was so sure of it, in fact, that she'd come all this way out on her own. No entourage. None of the usual goons to surround her and make her seem more intimidating than she really was. She didn't need it.

She'd find Robert with her own strength, relatively speaking of course. Being rich was certainly a strength, as was being well connected. A quick ring on the phone was all the insurance policy she need should things turn south for whatever reason, and it was enough to make Karen more than confident in herself. She smirked before taking off; she dug her hands into her expensive fur coat and resolved herself to try again tomorrow, preferably much earlier in the day. She couldn't restrain herself from immediately coming over, though admitted it was a bad idea doing so this late.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't really pay attention to what was going on in front of her. There were still people in the streets, and she absently walked past many of them. Lamplight made things difficult to see on top of that, so there was little reason for her to really pay attention. Karen came to the intersection and waited for the sign to cross, casting glances here and there to pass the time. No one was on the other side of the street, save for one person in a long coat and bowler hat. Again, not worth the time to pay attention to.

The light turned green. She walked forward with several others around her.

As she came to the middle of the street, she passed by the individual as he walked in the opposite direction. By complete chance, she looked over at time just in time to catch his half-obscured face; piercing blue eyes, with frayed blonde hair poking out from underneath his hat. Karen continued to walk. It was late. She'd had a long day. It didn't hit her until she arrived at the other end of the crosswalk, but by then it was already too late. She spun around and found the man was already walking away, in the same direction she'd just departed from.

Karen's eyes widened. She watched him, breathless, as he shambled towards the apartment complex from before. Tired. Haggard, he removed his hat before opening the door to let himself inside. A face, one she hadn't seen in so long, revealed itself under the streetlights. He didn't have his glasses on, but he couldn't fool Karen. She'd seen him many times before without them, and if Robert thought that would be enough to shake her off his tail then he had another thing coming. In a split second he disappeared from her, and immediately Karen knew she had been right.

" _That **bitch**!_" she hissed under her breath. Karen's blood boiled. She wanted to march over and confront them, but stopped herself.

She knew for sure where he lived now. Robert wasn't going anywhere, and she could stay in town as long as it took.

Patience. It was still new to her. Without another word she turned to walk away, resolving herself to return.

This was far from over.


	2. Chapter 2

Sitting at the table, head resting on intertwined fists, Loid stared down at his coffee.

He hadn't gotten much sleep last night. There was no denying that he needed it, though there was no way he could find the peace of mind needed to actually pass out like he wanted to. Most of his night was spent alone in his room mulling over just _how_ he could have possibly slipped up this badly. At what point did he cease to become Westalis' greatest agent, and instead parade his identity and location around to every goon, thug, and crook in the city like some kind of third rate spy like that infuriating Daybreak? Where did he go wrong? When did it happen?

The news couldn't have come at a worse time. He'd come home far later than he expected or wanted to, and was greeted by Yor and Anya in their PJ's. It wasn't the worst thing in the world; true he was knee-deep in filth from dealing with some of Ostania's worst scum (a sordid business with a human trafficking ring), but seeing the two of them hop up excitedly in his presence was enough to put him at ease somewhat. Those good feelings quickly went out the window though when he started to decompress, however. Loid shed his coat and hat. He collapsed onto his chair. Yor brought him a cup of tea. He smiled, as did she and Anya, and they asked him about his day. He made up some lie about working at the ward, before politely asking them how their evening went.

Good, they explained. Although a strange lady came knocking on the door asking for a man named Robert.

Loid paused. He thought for a moment; surely it couldn't have been the person that immediately flashed into his head. A good spy never leaves anything to chance though, so casually he brought it up a little while later after some time had passed. What did the lady look like? Oh, blonde with short hair. A mean face, he heard his daughter add. Said she'd been looking for this Robert person for months. The more he heard, the quieter Loid got. He did his best to keep anything from showing on his face, though inside he was having the mother of all panic attacks.

The thought had plagued him all night; he knew exactly who had come knocking on his door while he was out.

Loid looked into the black liquid in his cup and scowled. The sound of morning dishes being cleaned and put away rang out behind him, and even lost in thought he did his best to keep his face hidden from Yor. She hummed as she usually did while doing chores, and hearing it only made his head throb more with frustration; not at her, though. Not at his wife, nor their daughter who (annoyingly) was making all sorts of noise while playing with Bond in the living room. His family wasn't the problem, no. His anger was pointed at the one woman whose presence could upend everything he'd worked for in an instant.

Not just the Forgers, but all of Westalis and Ostania as well.

It took everything Loid had not to slam his fist into the table. He knew he should have dispatched Karen's father when he had the chance. If he had just pulled the trigger and ended things right then and there, none of this would have happened. Instead, he'd gotten soft. He showed weakness. He'd let that bastard Edgar live, and now he was suffering the consequences for it.

Hot air rushed from Loid's nose as he exhaled and stared absently at Anya from across the room. The sight of her happy face and carefree play made him growl silently to himself; he knew that was cold, even for an undercover agent. Looking at it from a parent's perspective, he admittedly squirmed at the idea of him being killed during a mission and having Anya grow up knowing her father was murdered in some way. The same applied to Karen, although he was far less sympathetic towards her case. Not enough to make him regret not pulling the trigger, but just barely.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what her endgame was; convince him (Robert) to get back with her and get married, or some ridiculous nonsense like that. Never mind the fact that he was already married, and never mind the fact that Robert was just a cover the same way Loid Forger was; neither identity existed except to the people he needed to believe they did. Robert was dead and buried. All that was left was Loid Forger, and once Operation Strix was completed that persona would be tossed aside as well. There was no man to love, really.

Twilight was just a shell, one that was only alive in the loosest of terms.

Loid deflated a bit. He glanced back down at the table and his eyes twisted in disgust with himself. What was he doing? The reflection in his coffee stared back up at him, and he couldn't help but to lament how terrible he looked. Bags under his eyes. Uncertainty looming over him. The constant struggle of maintaining his personal and professional personas, it was all almost palpable.

Maybe Yor and Anya couldn't see it, but to him it was clear as day. He was cracking from the pressure of it all, and he was at his wits end. Karen was just the tip of the iceberg; his downward spiral was already well into progress by the time she came along, evidenced by the fact that he'd let his home become compromised so easily without his knowing. His wife. His daughter. It didn't matter that they were fake. It was still his job to protect them; what if it hadn't been Karen who came knocking, but instead an SSS agent? A counter-spy? A criminal? What if Yor had opened the door expecting him, and instead was greeted with a barrel to the face and instructions to comply with whatever was asked of her, or else? The idea shook him to his core. He was terrified.

"Loid?" a voice called out, snapping him back to reality. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Of course," Loid replied automatically. He looked over his shoulder to find Yor standing there. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you're tired," Yor frowned. She pointed to the full cup in front of him. Loid stared. "And you haven't so much as touched your coffee, yet."

The cogs in his head turned. He was too busy being Twilight at the moment. He needed to be Loid Forger. "Being tired is all part of my job, but I appreciate the concern, Yor."

He smiled at his wife before lifting up his mug for a drawn out sip. Warm cofee ran down his throat, and he made it a point to look at Yor as he drank. She made a face at him, and Loid couldn't help but to mull over it; Karen would have never given him a look like that. She wouldn't have batted an eye if he gave her a reply as halfhearted as the one he gave Yor, but his wife was a different story altogether. She gazed at him with concern and disapproval, and the sight of it was enough to make him stop drinking altogether and flash a genuine smile in her direction.

"I'll take it easy today," Loid reassured her. "I promise."

Yor scanned her husband's face. Once satisfied with his response, she gave him a smile of her own. With a nod, Yor left him to go tend to the laundry. Loid followed her with his eyes before she disappeared around the corner, and he let out a sigh. Even now, head clouded with ill thoughts and doubt, Loid knew what he needed to do. He had to nip the situation in the bud before it blew up in his face, although the proposition was a daunting one; there were several routes he could take with this, but the easiest and most obvious of them was the one he dreaded taking the most.

It would be for the good of his family, though. For the good of Operation Strix.

He'd wait until Yor got done with folding clothes. In the meantime he'd try to enjoy his coffee for a change, to middling results. It was lukewarm at that point, but he didn't really feel like getting up to pour himself more. Instead he remained seated and watched Anya rough house with the dog. Bond wrestled free from his owner's weak grip and hopped up on top of her. His tail wagged as he pinned her effortlessly to the floor and parked his rear end firmly on her back. Anya giggled, out of breath, as she tried in vain to roll out from under him. Loid could only shake his head and smirk.

It went on like that for a time. Honestly Loid could have let them continue (lord knows Anya needed the physical activity), but the sounds of their playing would inevitably bother the downstairs neighbors. After a few minutes of watching them, Loid called out to his daughter from the dining room. It was time to hit the books for a little while. He already anticipated her grumbling when it started up, and instantly countered with a promise to take them all to the park later if she got her homework done. After that, it didn't take long for Anya to scurry back into her room to study.

At the same time, Yor spared her daughter a smile on her way back into the living room. For once, things worked out well enough. Anya's door closed, and it was just him and Yor now. He needed to speak to her in private, but didn't want to make it obvious by asking Anya to leave without any context. Otherwise she would have stuck her nose in things, though he supposed he'd have to fill her in eventually. For now though, he called out to his wife and asked her to take a seat. He wanted to talk to her about something. She tilted her head in bewilderment, but complied nonetheless.

"What is it Loid?" Yor placed her hands in her lap and looked at her husband earnestly.

Loid was silent for a moment. This was a delicate matter. He had to play his part to a tee. "I have a confession to make."

Yor's eyes widened a bit. Her pulse quickened slightly as Loid looked at her with a solid stare. She squirmed. "...A confession? About what?"

"I know who that woman was last night," he replied grimly. Loid ducked his head a little, knowing full well that his wife's heart must have stopped altogether.

"Y-you do...?" If Yor's eyes weren't big before, they certainly were now. Immediately a mountain of thoughts collapsed on top of her. She had no idea where to start with them.

"Yes, her name is Karen," Loid lifted his face up and looked Yor straight in her eyes. "She's one of my patients at the psych ward, and I'm fairly certain she's become delusional."

Yor blinked. She stared at Loid as he continued to do the same with a solid look in his face. It took a second for his words to register in her scrambled brain, but once they did she deflated almost immediately. Yor let out a quiet sigh of relief to herself; for a second there she thought he was going to say something crazy like that woman was his ex-girlfriend or something. The idea of Loid being with someone like _that_ was completely insane, and she briefly admonished herself for believing otherwise, if even for a moment. Her husband was better than that...er, that is to say, her _fake_ husband.

"Why didn't you say anything about it yesterday?" Yor asked as her senses came back to her. It wasn't a pointed question; she just genuinely wanted to know.

"I was exhausted, and on top of that I didn't want to scare Anya," Loid reasoned. Honestly it wasn't too far off the mark. That, and he wasn't sure it was Karen to begin with.

Yor nodded. She glanced at the table for a moment. "Okay...so why did she come over to our apartment and demand to speak to Robert? Who is he?"

"An ex-lover, from what I gather." It was cover-story time. "They broke up months ago, and it affected her hard. I believe she's going through a bit of an episode right now."

"Oh dear," Yor frowned. She laced her fingers together. "Had I known that I wouldn't have been so terse with her yesterday! I feel awful right now!"

Loid's eye twitched slightly. It wasn't his intention to make Yor feel guilty. "It's not your fault, it's mine. Apparently I look very similar to him, and now she has it in her head that I'm him."

"She thinks you're Robert?" Yor echoed. Loid nodded, and her face twisted a bit. "I still don't understand how she knows where you live, though."

"Neither do I," Loid sighed. "That's why I need to take care of things before they turn into a problem. At the same time however, I have to keep my patient's well being in mind. That's why I was hoping to ask you for your help."

" _My_ help?" Yor covered her mouth. She was no doctor. She didn't know the first thing about treating patients, except for that _concussive therapy_ Loid had taught her. She didn't want to hurt anybody, but if it was for Karen's well being, then...

...Loid's voice pulled her out of her violent thoughts. "I think the best course of action is to play into her delusion somewhat. If I pretend I'm Robert and confront her, it may be enough to make her come to her senses."

Yor nodded. That made sense, or at least it sounded like it did, anyway. Again, she wasn't a doctor. "Alright, but what do you want me to do?"

Loid looked to his wife. The moment of truth. "Honestly, nothing too different from what you're doing now. Just act like your _Robert's_ wife whenever she's around, and I'll handle the rest. Could you do that for me?"

"Of course," Yor agreed quickly with a nod. Her eyes steeled with resolve. "If there's one thing I can do well at this point, it's pretending to be your wife!"

" _Robert's_ wife," Loid corrected with a smirk. It grew when Yor's cheeks pinked with embarrassment at her mistake. "But you're right. I knew I could count on you, Yor. Thank you."

Yor gave her husband that red-faced beam she sometimes graced him with, and Loid couldn't help but to ease at the sight of it. They'd sort through all this together (whether she knew it or not) and then go back to being a normal family. All Loid had to do from this point on was fulfill his part of the charade, which he was more than confident in doing. He'd fooled Karen once before, and it wasn't going to be difficult doing it a second time. Despite whatever Loid might have said about Yor, she was leaps and bounds more intelligent than his ex; Karen was never the sharpest tool in the shed.

"Oh!" Yor piped up suddenly. "What about Anya, though? Where's she going to fit in all this?"

Loid blinked. Right. His daughter. Again, Yor proved she could be intuitive. "I'll talk with her. We'll say that she was _your_ daughter from a previous marriage."

Yor nodded; so the Forger family would be shuffled around, somewhat. On the one hand it would be kind of confusing keeping up with the correct persona the whole time, but on the other hand it would also be satisfying being able to help out Loid with his work. This whole business with Karen was just another thing to add to his laundry list of things to do, and anything she could do to help giver her husband some relief Yor would agree to without hesitation. Maybe, she hoped, this would put a little spring in his step after all was said and done. She knew he was tired and wanted to change that.

"Ah, I forgot," Loid mused aloud. "I told her I'd take her to the park if she did her homework."

Yor refocused. She looked to Loid and smiled. "Did you? Well, if you want, I can make us some sandwiches and we can eat lunch outside then?"

Loid narrowed his eyes in thought, before relenting with a smile as well. "Sure, I've got nothing going on today. Getting some fresh air would probably do us some good, anyway."

Yor agreed pleasantly, and the two of them nodded before breaking to attend to things in preparation for their picnic. Yor made her way to the kitchen while Loid started to make his way back to his room, but the latter stopped just before turning the corner. He paused and thought about something important. Loid looked to his wife through the window above the kitchen sink and smiled flatly.

"On second thought, Yor...maybe I should make lunch?" he reasoned. Already he could see her pulling out things that should not involve sandwiches.

The peanut butter seemed fine. Onions and artichokes though, not so much. "...R-right, of course. Sorry, Loid..."

Loid shook his head. His smile remained however, and he kept it as he shambled back in order to help his wife. The sounds of pantry doors opening and closing mixed with continued apologies from Yor. Preparations for the day's outing were back on schedule, though it would probably be a while before they made it out anyway. Loid took his time, mostly because Yor kept distracting him with conversation though the prospect wasn't unwelcome; he'd have been lying if he said it wasn't refreshing going at his own pace for a change.

For a few precious moments at least, he forgot all about the looming presence of his crazy ex-girlfriend.


	3. Chapter 3

Beneath the shade of a tall oak, atop a rolling hill in the middle of the biggest park in town, the Forgers staked their claim.

With a small breeze blowing just hard enough to make the heat outside bearable, the midday sun beat down all around them. Anticipating such a situation, Loid and Yor had made sure to pack all that they might need to stave off the summer elements; plenty of water (and a bowl for Bond), a basket stuffed with cold food from the fridge, and a chilled bottle of wine (for mama and papa). Everything else, which included a blanket to sit down on, another basket for cutlery, and a collection of various toys that Anya had brought with her, was carried equally among the three of them. They also dressed appropriately for the occasion, with Loid sporting shorts and a hat and the girls wearing matching sundresses.

Loid knew exactly which spot to go to, and immediately made it his mission to get there before anyone else. Yor and Anya smiled at each other as they trailed behind his quick and steady pace, Loid's calm face standing in sharp contrast to his irrational need to have the perfect spot for a picnic. Well, irrational to Yor, anyway (she thought it was cute regardless). Anya meanwhile snickered to herself as she read her papa's thoughts and discovered why it was so important to him; a perfect picnic spot meant a perfect picnic, and a perfect picnic meant optimal family bonding time. A necessity for Operation Strix.

Reasoning aside, no one else in the park seemed to care about that spot on the hill, though Loid would take no chances. Bond at his side, dog and master made a b-line for it before anyone could change their minds. There were no rival fathers waiting for Loid when he got there, and he quickly dropped anchor upon arrival. Yor and Anya caught up with them soon after, and together they setup for the afternoon. Anya helped her mama spread out the blanket and grabbed the doggie bowl, while Loid gathered all the food, plates, and cups for lunch.

Sandwiches, cheeses, and various fruits were on the menu, along with a bag of peanuts that Yor made sure to add without Loid's knowing. He pretended not to notice, or at the very least didn't say anything when Anya's eyes widened and she immediately dug into it before anything else. She knew full well that her papa would get upset with her if she didn't touch the rest of the food though, which is why she stashed some peanuts in her pocket for later and forced herself to eat other stuff, too. Not to say that it wasn't yummy; _papa_ made lunch today, so she didn't have to worry about being poisoned.

Loid made sure Bond got his fill, too. Anya poured him some water while papa opened a can of kibble and dumped it into his bowl. Despite clearly wanting to partake in sandwiches with the rest of the family, Bond behaved. He sniffed his food before chowing down obediently, and Anya laid on her belly and watched him eat. Loid and Yor both nibbled, though neither were particularly hungry. The food would stay cold for a little while longer. There was no real rush to eat, and really the only reason they started with food first was because Anya would be too busy playing later to care.

As if on cue, Anya hopped up once her dog was finished eating and immediately took off down the hill. Bond barked in excitement and quickly took chase, leaving mama and papa to watch from afar as they went off to play. Yor smiled from ear-to-ear, while Loid simply shook his head and gave a quiet sigh. Once Bond and Anya had made it a fair distance, Loid dug into one of the baskets and pulled out a book. He scooted back until he was up against the oak tree, and propped his head against his arm behind him. Yor glanced at him over her shoulder and tilted her head.

"What's that you're reading?" she inquired. Yor scanned the title of the book; _Children's Study ABC._

"Something I picked up from the library," he replied without looking up. Actually, he'd gotten it from Franky.

"For Anya?" Yor prodded further, and she giggled when Loid nodded absently. "You really are a great father, Loid."

Loid glanced up from his book and raised a brow, finding Yor smiling at him. "I'm just doing what anyone else would do, Yor."

Yor shook her head. "You're always trying to better yourself for her sake. I suppose all dads do, but you always go that extra mile."

Loid stared at his wife for a moment before refocusing on his book, only this time sporting a poorly hidden smirk. He could feel Yor's eyes still on him, and he pretended not to notice as he tried in vain to comprehend the text in front of him. If only she knew he was doing this to get closer to Donovan Desmond, and not because he wanted Anya to be some kind of A+ student. Yor probably wouldn't have thought so highly of him then, though he supposed there was no use in thinking about that. Her knowing his true goal wasn't an option, so for now he'd accept whatever accolades she'd give him. Loid would have been lying if he said her praise wasn't a shot in the arm, and at times he'd go so far as to say that they gave him the push he needed to stay confident in completing his mission.

Lost in thought, he failed to notice as Yor reached over and started to fish out her own little picnic activity from one of the baskets. It wasn't until he felt a finger poke him in the shoulder that he looked up, finding his wife smiling sheepishly at him with the wine bottle in her hand. She brandished it in his direction, and he already knew what she wanted. He set his book down beside him.

"Did you bring the key?" he asked, which Yor answered by pulling out a corkscrew from the rest of the cutlery.

If there was one thing Loid was good at (along with _everything else_ he was good at), it was pouring wine. Fondly, Yor recalled his first meeting with her brother as she watched him take the bottle from her hand and start to remove the tinfoil from its lip. His story of going to another country during his years as a medical student and sampling the wine from a little street shop, it had all sounded so romantic to her at the time. Even now, she smiled as her fake husband effortlessly removed the cork from the bottle and poured white wine into two glasses that he cupped with one hand.

"You already know what I'm going to say, right?" Loid deadpanned as he handed one of them to Yor. She smiled flatly.

"...I'll behave," she promised. A glass or two wasn't going to put her under the table. Any more than that, though, and...well...

Yor felt something hit the glass in her hand and quickly looked down to find Loid clanging his against it. She then looked up at him and saw his smile, which resulted in her cheeks warming from the sight. She hadn't even started drinking yet, and already it looked like she was flustered. With a sigh and rosy cheeks, she toasted with Loid and the two partook in a noon-time drink. Far from the eyes of Anya, who, had she been there, would have begged for a taste herself. It wouldn't have been the first time, and certainly not the first time mama and papa had told her _no._

Loid reclined backwards and assumed his position once more. Yor meanwhile brought her legs around beside her and elected to watch Anya from afar. Glass in hand, she continued to smile as their daughter played with Bond off in the distance. She lingered on the sight for a while before sparing Loid a glance behind her, and she couldn't help but to feel like this was all too perfect. A tiny part of her still vaguely recalled the whole situation with Karen, but for the life of her she couldn't bring herself to spare it a thought. It wasn't a priority right now.

All that mattered at the moment was the Forgers were having a good time.

She closed her eyes and happily took another sip of wine.

* * *

The siren call of a lonely nightingale is what eventually forced shuttered eyes open.

A scene of splayed plates and half-eaten food lay in front of Yor as she blinked away the haze that surrounded her post-nap brain. A singing bird had awoken her, but it was the heat that made sure she didn't suddenly fall back asleep. With that said, it wasn't necessarily the temperature outside that made things borderline uncomfortable; it actually had more to do with the fact that her body heat combined with that of another, something she didn't realize right away. Not until she finally came to her senses and noticed that her head was resting against Loid's shoulder.

He sat there where she had left him before passing out, against the oak tree with a book in his hand. His arm didn't act as a pillow anymore, however. Instead, it rested around _her_ while he continued to read. His hat was gone now, but that was honestly the last thing on Yor's mind at the moment. Immediately, her wine-flushed face turned redder than merlot. Her first instinct was to jump up and get as far away from Loid as possible, but was stopped at the last second by the feeling of a weight that anchored the lower half of her body to the ground.

Yor looked down and found Anya laying there with Loid's hat covering her face to keep the sun out. Much like the night before, she used her as a pillow. The rest of her took up whatever little space remained between Yor and Loid, the three of them huddled together beneath the tree. Yor's head spun. Anya had her pinned and, though she didn't mind cuddling with her daughter, cuddling with her _husband_ was not an option. Though, that would imply that she _had_ options. As far as she could tell, there was no getting out of this; she was trapped, something that Loid seemed to know all too well as he suddenly became aware of her presence. He turned his head to face her. She stared at him, still red, and held her breath. He got a little red, too, but didn't seem all that put off by it.

"Hey, you're awake," he commented. "You knocked out hard."

Yor's lips trembled. Her face was just inches from Loid's. "H-how did we get like this?"

"Well..." Loid tried to be nice about it. "...You put the bottle to bed. Anya was tired, and the two of you passed out together."

All of a sudden, Yor wanted to disappear off the face of the earth. She'd gotten sloshed in front of Loid again. "I-I see. But, um, your arm...?"

She glanced at his arm around her and promptly hid her face. This time, Loid's face grew a bit more red. "You were out for a while. My arm fell asleep, sorry..."

He started to pull it away from her, but the movement caused Anya to stir. Yor immediately shook her head. "No, it's fine! I don't want to wake Anya up. It's...not a big deal, anyway."

It really wasn't a big deal, or at least it shouldn't have been. They were pretending to be husband and wife; something as simple as being near each other like this was one of the minimum requirements to being married, though knowing that didn't make it any easier on Yor. She turned away to hide from Loid's gaze, and he likewise did the same. Burying himself in his book, Loid said not a word. Yor meanwhile looked down at Anya in her lap and couldn't help but to feel like she was overreacting. This was nothing. This whole family of theirs was just a front. It didn't mean anything.

Even so...she could definitely do better.

Yor's eyes twisted; she suddenly found herself thinking about Karen again. From what Loid had told her, she really seemed to love Robert. They weren't even married, and yet she had made it her mission to find him and get back together. Of course it was all a delusion, but even then Yor found it sort of admirable that Karen would put it all on the line for someone like that. As far as her own marriage was concerned...she couldn't really compare to that. What exactly would she do for Loid? Or, rather, what _had_ she done for him? As a wife, real or fake, what did she have to offer?

Well, she kept the house clean. That was a start. And she'd gotten a _bit_ better at cooking, at least to where she didn't make anybody sick long-term anymore. Aside from that though, Yor struggled to think of anything else that would make her wife-worthy. As far as putting on a convincing act for both her and Loid's sake, Yor seemed to fail across the board. He always picked up her slack. She, meanwhile, couldn't so much as touch him without turning into a red-faced mess. Even now, she hated herself for acting like this. They were just sitting together, acting like the family they were _supposed_ to be. Anya had no qualms about any of it, and the only reason Loid ever got flustered was because Yor herself was the one who blew things out of proportion.

Yor took a deep breath. She spared her daughter one more glance, before looking up at Loid.

This wasn't bad. She said it again to herself; nothing about this situation was bad. Was it embarrassing? Well, yes, but it didn't have to be. Yor steadied herself as she stared at her fake husband, his eyes still glued to the text in front of him. He probably noticed (he always seemed to know when people were watching him), but if he did he didn't say anything. Yor took it as an opportunity to sort of desensitize herself to him. Maybe the longer she stayed like this with Loid, the less of a mess she'd be around him in general?

Being so close to him, Yor could hear his breath; the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest, the feeling of his pulse against her cheek, it all synced up with her own. Blood rushed to her face as usual, but she didn't pull away. Yor forced herself to stay and experience all of it. She let her head roll and leaned more into Loid's shoulder, giving her a better angle to view the corner of his eyes with. They were usually cold blue, but sometimes a darker hue in the right light. Now was one of those times, and she ended up losing herself in them like ocean water.

She could do this.

Yor felt as though she could stay like this, watching her husband, indefinitely. Anya, however, quickly put stop to that. Still asleep, she squirmed in Yor's lap to get more comfortable. An elbow went where it shouldn't have, and Yor inevitably had to move to accommodate her. It was at that point Loid glanced over at his wife and caught her at the worst possible time. Mid-shuffle, her face came in closer to his, if that were even possible. His eyes caught hers immediately, and both of them froze. Anya murmured in her sleep, none the wiser, as mama and papa stared at each other.

Yor's first instinct was to run away. Hop up. Apologize profusely to Loid, before of course apologizing to Anya for waking her up in her mad dash to escape. Even now, as Yor's cheeks turned the same color as her sanguine eyes, she wanted nothing more. Loid's silence encouraged her, and she started to shift away from her family before suddenly catching herself at the last possible second.

_No_ , she repeated in her head. _You can do this._

Yor gulped. It was the only action she could muster that didn't involve breaking away. Her heart beat faster in her chest. It killed her to look Loid in the eyes, but she forced herself to anyway. After staying frozen for a short time, Yor slowly started to ease. She inched back to her previous spot on her husband's shoulder. Never once did she break away from him, even as Loid's calm started to waver. Yor simply stared up at him innocently as his cheeks quickly started to turn red under her gaze.

"Loid?" she asked suddenly. Her voice was quiet, so as to not wake Anya. "How long have we been married?"

"...Uh, going on half a year?" Loid replied, sounding uncharacteristically unsure of himself. He had no idea what this was about.

Yor grew quiet. Loid raised a brow a moment later when she clutched his sleeve and curled more into him. "In all that time...we've never gotten this close, right?"

"R-right," he nodded. Was this some sort of trick question? Did he upset her with the whole arm thing? Damn. That was it, wasn't it? Now he had to smooth things over before-

"-We should do it more often," Yor continued, causing Loid's brain to stop functioning for a second, before adding, "to keep up appearances, I mean. So no one suspects anything."

Loid blinked as his senses came back to him. He looked to Yor and found her there still huddled beneath his arm. Face scarlet. Lips frazzled. She looked like she was about to break at any moment, but still somehow managed to keep it all together. For some reason, that alone was enough to knock Loid off his feet; the Yor he knew would never say or do anything like this. She didn't know the first thing about being in a relationship, let alone pretending to be in one. It made this whole charade of theirs all the more difficult to pull off, but he never really minded. Yor was always just...Yor.

Right now though, for the first time, she was really doing her best to act the part.

Gazing on her then, Loid failed to hide his tiny smirk. The sight of it only served to make Yor even more embarrassed, but he either didn't notice or quite frankly didn't care. His arm suddenly pulled her in tighter, and Yor let out a tiny squeak as she, Loid, and Anya all bunched up together. Off to the side, Bond let out a disinterested yawn as he watched it all unfold before unceremoniously laying back down for another nap.

Yor gripped her husband tighter; she quickly gave up on looking at him and instead stared off into space in a last ditch effort to remain calm. Loid stopped talking after that. He resumed his reading and pretended not to notice just how hot her face felt. Part of Yor wanted to thank him for that, though the part of her that remained in control would do no such thing. She just sat there in a puddle of blush with her daughter in her lap, the two of them tucked into her husband nice and neat like puzzle pieces. It was all too much for her to process.

Eventually, after taking a few minutes to breathe, Yor did end up settling down somewhat. Only slightly of course, since there was no way she'd ever truly get over just how distraught she felt at the moment. It was just enough to where, when Loid eventually did look over and found her still looking like a deer caught in headlights, Yor at least had the strength to look back up at him and smile a little. He really did know how hard this was for her. He wasn't making fun of her for it. He was being supportive, like he always was, and it only made Yor admire him even more.

"Thank you," she murmured. Their noses were practically touching they were so close. It took everything she had to remain coherent. "I know I'm a mess."

Loid stayed silent. He peered into her eyes and gave her a look she couldn't quite pin down. "We've all got our obstacles to overcome, Yor."

Air rushed through Yor's nose in a quiet laugh to herself. "Some obstacle! How am I supposed to be a convincing wife like this?"

"Well, you've got me," Loid replied. Yor's eyes widened, and immediately he clarified, "I'll help you however I can."

Yor blinked away her surprise, before offering her husband a warm smile. "Thank you, Loid. It really means a lot to me."

Loid offered her the same. "Of course. You're my wife, after all. What kind of husband would I be if I didn't do my best to support you?"

He'd help her get over this eventually, for the sake of the mission. Yor was right; if they never so much as held hands in public, people would start to suspect something was up. It's what Loid told himself as he continued to sit there with Yor, their faces hovering closer than they'd ever had before. Sweat beaded on their foreheads, and he'd resigned himself to blame it on the summer heat. Nothing more. That was the only logical reason, though even he had to admit his face was hotter than he expected. Yor's too, though at this point he was used to seeing it red.

They both stopped talking after that. Anya squirmed between them, but Loid barely paid attention. Yor didn't seem to either. She just continued smiling at him with lidded eyes as he did the same. The breeze picked up and whipped around them, causing Yor's hair to flicker. She absently tried to reign it in, and Loid's fingers suddenly twitched at the sight. Before he even realized what he was doing, he found himself reaching over to brush the loose strands back from his wife's face. Yor saw his hand approach and flinched. She held her breath.

Loid could only feel the slightest tease of soft locks at his fingertips before he suddenly froze at the sound of someone else's voice.

_"Nice to see you again, **Loid**."_

His eyes shot wide open, as did Yor's. Both immediately looked over to see a familiar woman standing in front of them; freshly so for Yor, though Loid hadn't seen that face in nearly half a year. It caught him completely off guard, and he gaped at the sight of short blonde hair and lithe frame. She looked just as he remembered her, albeit much more confident than before. Hands on her hips, she loomed over the Forgers with a look that was equal parts smug and angry. For the longest few seconds of his life, Loid could only stare, dumbfounded, as Karen re-entered his life in an instant.

**Shit.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my own take on the excellent picnic scene Endo drew a few months back. I changed it up a little, but it's still pretty much the same in my head. Also I realized after I started this that my timeline's a bit off in terms of the canon story but...meh, if Endo can draw summer scenes without caring about continuity then I can do the same in my writing lol


	4. Chapter 4

Loid jumped.

It was a knee-jerk reaction, and had he been more in control of himself at the moment he wouldn't have done so. He was still tangled up in Yor and Anya, and ended up sending his daughter flying into his wife's lap. Yor meanwhile lost any semblance of calm they'd worked towards and let everything all out at once; she waved her arms, cupped her cheeks, and turned into a gibbering mess as Loid stood between her and Karen. At first, his expression was a mixture of fluster and fury. There was no hiding that, no matter how good a spy he was; he wasn't happy at the moment.

As the milliseconds ticked by, Loid reined himself in. He exhaled and calmed himself quickly, even as a commotion continued on behind him.

"WHOZZAT?!" Anya exclaimed bleary eyed. She flailed in a post-nap panic, and Yor struggled to contain her. "AMBUSH?!"

It took everything Loid had to tune out his wife and daughter and instead focus on the task at hand. He was Twilight; master of disguise, Westalis' greatest agent, and the one thing standing between peace and total war. He could be anyone the situation called for, and right now it called for him to be Robert, an Ostanian politician's secretary. The person Karen knew him as.

Loid spared Yor one last glance before flipping on the switch, and hoped she could manage to play along like she said she would. If not, then...things would become difficult.

"Karen," Loid sighed. He stared her straight in the eyes and shook his head. "What a pleasant surprise."

"You don't have to lie on my account, Robert," she chimed back. Her eyes narrowed. "You've been avoiding me."

Loid shrugged. "It's hard to avoid someone when you don't even know they're looking for you."

"You're _lying_ again," Karen pursed her lips. "Unless that woman behind you failed to mention I came knocking on your door last night?"

Loid glanced over his shoulder. Yor and Anya had both calmed somewhat, or at least the latter did, anyway. His daughter had woken up for the most part and instead was just very confused. Yor on the other hand was staring back at him at a loss of what to do; play along or keep quiet? Loid said he would handle things and that all she had to do was pretend to be Robert's wife...but did Karen even _know_ they were married to begin with? She had told her as much last night, but then again she wasn't the most stable person at the moment...

"How did you know where to find us?" Loid answered Karen's question with one of his own.

It was a legitimate concern. Keeping tabs on him was one thing, but to know where his he was even in a big park like this was on another level entirely. He waited patiently for an answer, at least on the outside; on the inside he was ready to tear her a new one for stalking him and his family and for throwing all of Operation Strix into disarray. This was already turning into a nightmare. He had to remain calm. Absently he swept his hair back to how he had it when he was Robert; perfectly coifed to one side. Clean. Sleek. He hated it.

"I didn't?" Karen replied. Such a response nearly made Loid's blood boil, but then she pointed to the park entrance. "You're on a giant hill. Everyone can see you. I was on my way to grab lunch when I saw you from the street."

Loid paused. Right. That was why he wanted that spot on the hill in the first place; aside from providing optimal shade from the sun, it also made their family bonding time undeniably obvious to anyone walking by. It was like free advertisement to show off what a normal family they were. He'd planned it all out, though his wife wasn't privy to his scheme. It quickly dawned on Loid that Yor hadn't realized they were on a pedestal, even though it _really_ should have been obvious. His face fell flat as hers became blood red.

Yor's thoughts spiraled. Everyone could **_see_** them?! Had people been watching the whole time as she got sloshed?! When she passed out? _When her and Loid were cuddling?!_ She broke. Yor's eyes boggled from her head as she nearly passed out from embarrassment. Anya ended up being the only reason she didn't fall over; the little girl read her mama's mind and jumped up at the last second to keep her steady. Bond saw the excitement and ran over to both of them, leaving Loid there to sigh to himself in defeat. He was on his own on this one.

"Who are they?" Karen pointed to the Forgers behind him. "And who's _Loid_?"

"Clearly that's my family, Karen," Loid answered back briskly. "Loid's just a name my wife came up with on the spot. You were a stranger asking for her husband, what else was she to do?"

Silence. Then, slowly, Karen's face twisted. "So it's true then...you did get married?"

"A few months ago, yes," Loid confirmed. He figured he'd shave a few months off, just to be on the safe side.

"...Why?" Karen asked quietly. Clearly she was angry, though her question sounded more hurt than anything else.

Loid tilted his head. "Why what, exactly?"

He knew what. He had to pretend like he didn't, though. Between lying to Yor and lying to Karen, Loid had his work cut out for him. All part of being a spy, he supposed, but even he knew just how wrong all this was. In front of him was a woman he'd spent months pretending to love, just like so many others before her, and behind him was...another mission. One that required him to do whatever was necessary in order to see it completed. If that meant looking Karen dead in her eyes and breaking her heart again, then so be it. He need not like it, only do it.

Karen pointed to Yor and Anya. "Why them? Why not me? We were happy together!"

"If we were both so happy, then why did I leave?" Loid countered.

"I don't know, why don't you tell me?" Karen shot right back. "You never said anything to me! You just left me at the dinner table with barely a word!"

Loid blinked. He wasn't expecting her to throw it back in his face like that. Karen wasn't ever one for a debate. "...We were just two different people, Karen."

"That's not good enough." She crossed her arms, while at the same Loid cringed internally. "I want the real reason, and I'm not leaving Berlint until you tell me."

Loid's stomach sank. This meeting was going south fast. He assumed (incorrectly) that he could whip something up on the fly and Karen would eat it up before leaving for good. She was a spoiled airhead. Daddy's little girl. He never knew her to have a critical thought in her whole head, though clearly that no longer seemed the case. His eyes narrowed at the woman in front of him as she stood and waited for his response. When he failed to give her one quickly enough, she instead dug into her purse and pulled out a piece of paper. Loid raised a brow.

"This is the number to the hotel I'm staying at," she informed him before handing him the slip. "When you want to talk, call me."

Silently and hesitantly, Loid took the number. He stared at Karen as she glanced over his shoulder to eye the Forgers one last time before turning away without saying another word. She marched off down the hill and left Loid there struggling to make sense of what just happened; for once, nothing went as planned. Everything he assumed would take place, didn't. He looked over to Yor and Anya and found the pair looking back at him expectantly. They didn't know whether this outcome was good or bad. Despite his own hesitation, it fell on Loid to reassure them.

He exhaled before offering a shrug and a light smile. "Well, that went smoothly."

"...Are you going to call her?" Yor asked. She rose to her feet as Anya gathered Bond's leash.

"Eventually," Loid replied. "In the meantime, I think we should gather up our things and head back."

Yor nodded, though a noticeable tugged pulled at her lips as Loid turned to help their daughter pack up. As he and Anya starting putting trash and plates away, Yor stood there for a moment and stared at the spot where Karen had just been. She was bothered by something the woman had said, and as she thought about it more Yor couldn't help but ask her husband about it.

"Why is she staying at a hotel?" Yor prodded. Loid paused mid-cleanup. "I thought she lived in town?"

Loid's head snapped up like a deer caught in headlights. He was sure he hadn't mentioned anything about Karen besides what he needed Yor to know. "...What makes you say that?"

Yor frowned and tilted her head. She seemed confused. "Well, she's your patient, right? I just assumed she lived close by, unless she takes the train in to see you...?"

Loid mimicked her expression. He did his best to seem just as her confused as her, while internally he was sweating bullets. "...Y'know, that's an excellent question, Yor. I'll pull up her file at work and see if I can't find out more about her housing situation."

He waited with bated breath for his wife's response. His calm mask wavered a fraction of a degree when all she did was nod a moment later. No reassuring smile as per usual, just an acknowledgement of his blatant lie. Loid supposed that so long as she bought his explanation it was all fine in the end, but he couldn't help but to worry about what Yor thought about all this. His stomach churned as a million thoughts ran through his head, all of them revolving around the idea that Yor was now becoming suspicious. Was she catching onto him...?

If only he could read her mind like his daughter. Anya stood between her mama and papa and played the role of dramatic chorus. She blinked as papa's thoughts filled her head before turning her attention to mama. Bond came around to absently stick his nose in Anya's face while the latter's head was filled with worry and doubt, though none of it seemed aimed at her papa.

 _She seemed way too calm._ Both inside and out, Yor frowned. For someone who was as delusional as Karen, that whole exchange was far too cordial. She must have _really_ believed Loid was Robert. The thought of someone like _that_ stalking her husband, so lost in their own head that they couldn't tell the difference between fiction and reality, deeply concerned Yor. She glanced at Loid once more, again finding a (fake) smile there to greet her, and her heart sank. He was a grown man. He could take care of himself. Yet even so, if anything were to happen to him because of Karen...

...Should she intervene? Discreetly?

Anya cringed as an all-too familiar scene played out in her head, the same one that always ran whenever mama became distressed about something. An iconic black dress. Knives like needles. The hairband with a golden rose. Thorn Princess Yor was not to be messed with; she always got her mark, especially in her own twisted fantasies. Anya watched helplessly as an imaginary Karen answered the door to her hotel room, only to be greeted with a dirty scowl and halfhearted plea to die quickly and quietly. Loid had a family, one that didn't involve her. She raised her knife and-!

 _-Stop it, Yor!_ Mama shook her head as always, and just like always Loid raised a brow in confusion at his wife's sudden gesture. _Karen's just sick! She doesn't mean anything by it!_ Yor internally berated herself for jumping to violence again, while at the same time Anya breathed a sigh of relief off to the side. The little girl had enough on her plate keeping up with everyone's lies, she really didn't want to be reminded of Karen being punctured by a hundred knife wounds the next time she saw her. Anya watched as her parents acknowledged each other once more before going off to do their respective clean-up duties. There was still a lot of picking up to do, and Anya turned to continue helping them. Bond still clung to her, though, and she was about to push him off before something clicked in her head.

Static. Interference. The unmistakable fuzzy image of something that hadn't happened yet.

Bond was seeing the future again, and Anya was along for the ride. As mama and papa cleaned up, the little girl stood there and watched the image of their apartment shudder into existence. The door was open. Karen was in the hallway while Mama stood inside. It looked like the same scene from last night, only there were two things notably different. For one thing, papa was there. He stood off to the side and looked like he didn't know what to do. Karen and mama were angry, like last time, except they were much closer and mama's face was really, _really_ red. Karen yelled something. Anya couldn't hear what, but she knew it was loud. Mama scowled. Her eyes narrowed. And then...!

Blank. No more static.

Anya nearly shouted out in distress.

What was all that about?! She shook her dog for more information, but if Bond knew anything he wasn't sharing. Anya nearly blew both their covers when papa suddenly asked her what she was doing, and the little girl immediately had to come up with a cheap lie to cover their tracks. He growled at her to help him and mama, and Anya obediently went to work. Bond meanwhile sat down and stared at the family while they gathered their things. He tilted his head and scanned all three of them with a blank stare. Their future was sealed inside that little head of his.

If only he could speak.

* * *

Karen came from a well-to-do family. She normally lived just outside town with her father, but was currently staying at a hotel for unknown reasons; likely to be closer to him (Robert).

Such was the story Loid told Yor after coming home from work the following day, and for the most part it was actually true. The only thing he really lied about was Karen living with her father (that, and the fact that no medical file anywhere would be that detailed about someones housing situation). Yor of course accepted his explanation, seeing as how she wasn't very concerned to begin with despite Loid's own fears on the matter. Even after that however, he continued to suspect that _she_ was suspicious of him; such was the sudden disconnect between the two of them, and the main reason why Loid tried harder than usual to stay in his wife's good graces that evening.

He cooked. He did the dishes. He cleaned. He helped Anya with her homework.

All while insisting that Yor take it easy for the day, and all to put that usual smile back on her face.

That didn't end up happening. Despite all his efforts, Yor's demeanor remained decidedly distant. Loid cringed internally when, after a quiet evening sitting in the living room after dinner, Yor silently excused herself. She left Anya and Loid without a word to go shower, and the gesture was enough to make the latter deeply concerned. Yor was only like this when she was angry. With Spy Wars playing in the background, Loid did mental gymnastics trying to identify where he'd slipped up; at what point did he fail in his cover story with Karen? Did Yor know anything, or just suspect something was amiss? What was she thinking?

 _Not what you think she's thinking,_ Anya deadpanned to herself. Her papa's thoughts were loud, even more so than the TV, and she could hear him without even turning to look around. Ever since the three of them got home, Anya had been privy to all her parents' worries. She'd have been slightly concerned, if not for the fact that it _was_ pretty funny how distraught papa got whenever he thought mama was upset with him. Even as Yor left them to go take a bath Anya could hear what was going through her head, and it was most certainly _not_ angry thoughts aimed at papa like he suspected.

_Loid's doing a lot today. He's probably trying to take his mind off this whole Karen business._

Mama's thoughts carried a somber twinge to them, and Anya could only shake her head at how bad her parents were at reading each other. She could try to intervene and put their minds at ease, though they were both so lost in their own heads that it would be too suspect of her to even try. No, she'd let mama and papa sort it out on their own. Besides, her and Bond had a very important matter to attend to; there was a new episode today. Glued to the TV, the pair sat transfixed with their program as Loid continued to worry on the couch behind them.

Meanwhile, Yor disappeared into the bathroom. The sound of a running shower filled the apartment soon after, and Yor climbed in to wash the day off of her. Behind the relative safety of a thick shower curtain, she let the events of the past weekend ebb and flow in a sea of thoughts as hot water ran down her skin. In just a few days, her routine life had suddenly been thrown into disarray. A random woman whom she'd never met had appeared on her doorstep, and now she and Loid were stuck trying to find a way to get rid of her.

Yor shuddered as she recalled wanting to...dispatch the poor woman yesterday. Karen was Loid's patient. He was a doctor. His job was to help people, and yet all Yor could think about was being selfish. Any threat to her (fake) family was cause enough to put her on edge; she was well within her right to protect the one thing standing between her and getting arrested by the SSS, but that didn't mean she should get in Loid's way on this. No, she'd follow his lead like she said she would. Until they found a way to convince Karen to leave, she'd be Mrs...Robert?

...They didn't really know his last name, now that she thought about it.

Yet another thing they'd have to figure out, Yor sighed to herself. Steam roiled beneath her and clouded her vision, and in its veil Yor found a little bit of comfort. She thought of Loid, and smiled; at least they'd figure things out together. He was a fake husband, but really in name only. She'd never been in a relationship before, but liked to think that he was the shining example of what a partner should be. Kind. Supportive. Dependable. Yor mused that if Robert were anything like Loid, she could see why Karen would be so hard pressed to let him go. She understood the feeling.

Her whole body turned red, though it only had partly to do with the steam.

The shower was a short one, or at least it felt that way to Yor. Thinking about things made time go by faster, and it wasn't long before the hot water failed her and signaled to her it was time to leave. She climbed out and dried off. Her hand wiped away a window in the foggy mirror and Yor eyed herself for a moment; the face that stared back seemed a bit more confident than before. As she assumed, taking some time to herself helped clear her thoughts. She smiled a little before getting dressed in her nightgown. The rest of her nightly rituals followed immediately after.

When she finished brushing her teeth, that's when the door finally opened. She stepped out as mist followed behind her, and Yor was stopped right away by a familiar figure. Blue eyes looked intensely at her, their normally pretty hue marred by an obvious frown. Yor blinked as Loid stood in the hallway in front of her, and he cringed slightly in her presence.

"Hey..." A pair of PJ's draped over his arm. He'd been waiting patiently for his turn to take a shower. "...Um, I just wanted to catch you before you went off to bed."

"Oh?" Yor continued to blink. Her demeanor had changed almost completely since Loid had last seen her. He was caught off guard by her sudden chipperness.

"Yes, well," Loid shifted uncomfortably. "I just wanted to say that I appreciate you going along with all this. This whole Karen business, I mean."

Loid expected Yor to glower at his ex's name. Needless to say, he was surprised when she smiled instead. "Of course. I'm happy to help."

This time, it was Loid who blinked. He reeled from his wife's one-eighty. What exactly happened in there? "That's...good to hear?"

"I know it's a lot on your plate, but we'll get through it together," Yor reassured him. "I won't let you handle it all alone."

Loid's eyes grew wider as Yor started to walk away. He wanted to say something back, but in all honesty he was a bit tongue-tied at the moment. He moved not an inch and silently watched her walk towards her bedroom. She stopped just shy of turning the knob, and instead glanced over her shoulder towards Loid. He straightened under her gaze.

A warm smile, along with an equally warm face, matched Yor's pink nightgown. "Goodnight, Loid."

The door opened. She disappeared, and left her husband standing there confused in more ways than one. He remained still as a statue and continued to stare at the spot where his wife had been just seconds before. For the first time that night, there was nothing going on in his head; Loid's mind went blank, something his daughter realized when she popped in uninvited to glean his thoughts. From her vigilant seat by the TV, the little girl turned and stared at her papa in sly amusement as he slowly started to creak back to life. He eventually got a hold of himself and convinced his body to start moving again, and the bathroom door closed behind him as he finally took his turn in the shower. Anya could only shake her head as Bond licked his paw right next to her.

Mama was the only one who could make papa's head go all empty like that.


	5. Chapter 5

The week came and went. Though the constant presence of a certain someone was felt almost everyday in the background, the Forgers carried on in relative normalcy. Yor and Loid would arrive home, followed by Anya a little bit later, and the three (along with Bond) would do what they always did; talk, eat, relax before bed, and do it all again the next day. Karen was never mentioned. To Yor and Loid, it felt like a needed calm before the storm. A respite before taking the plunge and dealing with something that neither particularly wanted to confront.

Friday arrived. After consulting Yor about it, Loid finally placed the call.

His fingers flicked the numbers on the rotary, and he waited patiently for someone to answer. A voice suddenly came through the other line belonging to a hotel employee; her pleasant, sanitized drone offered Loid no comfort as she made small talk before transferring him over to Karen's room. He waited no more than a second before someone picked up on the other end, and he briefly thought that it must have been the employee again as there was no way someone could answer that fast. He was, however, mistaken.

If Karen was trying to play hard to get, she was failing miserably.

 _"Robert?"_ the first word out of her mouth. _"Is that you?"_

"Yes, Karen, it's me," Loid practically rolled his eyes.

_"I was wondering when you'd call. It's been almost a week."_

Loid looked over; Yor stood right beside him, her ear pressed up against the other side of the phone. "Being a husband and father keeps me busy."

Silence. Yor looked the other way and hid a tiny smirk from him. _"...When do you want to talk?"_

"I assumed now?" Loid raised a brow. "What's wrong with talking over the phone?"

 _"I'd rather see you in person,"_ Karen replied adamantly. _"It's been months since we've sat down together."_

Loid glanced at his wife from the corner of his eye. She did the same, but offered no more than a shrug. "I suppose that's fine."

Thinking about it some more, that was probably the better idea, anyway. Anya was home, doodling on the coffee table, and Loid supposed theirs was a conversation best left between adults. At first he assumed they could keep things amicable, but...well, given how quickly Karen picked up the phone he had a sinking feeling this wasn't going to be as cut-and-dry as he was hoping.

Promptly, Karen gave him the details. Either she had planned this out ahead of time, or she'd simply picked the first place that came to mind. Regardless, she chose a coffee shop that was almost halfway between the two of them. With respect to his daughter (the word sounding like poison dripping from her tongue the way she'd said it) they'd wait till tomorrow afternoon. Loid agreed, knowing full well that Karen intended for Yor to stay home and watch Anya while he went to meet up with her. That, of course, wasn't going to happen.

Her mistake was not saying it out loud and forcing Loid to acknowledge it. It had been a while since he'd played Robert, but even then he never thought his persona such a simpleton. Maybe Karen wasn't as shrewd as Loid gave her credit for; even if she'd matured in the months of his absence, at the end of the day she was still rather...not bright. With that said, Loid politely agreed before hanging up the phone. With no direct instruction to leave his wife at home he turned towards Yor, and the latter did the same towards him.

"Up for a cup of coffee tomorrow?" Loid smirked.

Yor smiled a little. "Sure, but we should probably give Franky a call first."

Loid nodded in agreement. "I'll go see him in person. I needed to return something of his, anyway."

With Anya still in the living room and Bond lounging lazily beside her, Yor went with her husband to the door. Shoes. Coat. Hat. He gathered everything and readied himself to leave. Nearly forgetting the book, Loid slipped away into his room and returned a moment later. Hidden safely in his coat pocket, he scratched the back of his head and pretended like he'd lost whatever Franky had lent him. An unnoticed snicker came from his daughter at the blatant lie he was spinning; papa should've just said he got the book from Franky instead of the library.

"Be careful," Yor cautioned. She glanced at the window and found it growing darker outside.

"I won't be long," Loid reassured her. He went for the door. "Assuming it's not too late, I'll bring back dessert."

There came a sudden whoop from Anya in the living room. Loid expected about as much. "Hurry up and go see Scruffy, papa!"

Loid smirked and offered his wife a look before leaving. She saw him out and watched him walk down the hall before disappearing down the stairs. Her eyes lingered on the spot where he'd been, and a moment later she willed herself back inside. Things became quiet in the Forger house upon its patriarch's departure, and suddenly Yor found herself unsure about what to do in his absence. They'd already eaten. She'd already cleaned. Anya already did her homework (surprisingly) and Bond had already gone to the bathroom. There was nothing left for her.

Yor's lips squiggled. She gave a put-out huff and meandered into the living room, but not before turning on the TV. Before the sound of Spy Wars could come blaring through the tube, Yor quickly flipped over the channel. It ended up landing on a soap opera she'd eyed once or twice before, _Berlint in Love._ Watching TV (and by extension soap operas) wasn't really her thing, but with nothing else better to do Yor shrugged and took up her usual spot on the couch. She sat with hands folded in her lap, and Anya continued to color absently as this week's drama blared in the background.

 _"...How could you!?..."_ A woman on-screen asked dramatically. An attractive-looking man in front of her balked at the question. _"...And with your old high school flame, no less!?..."_

Ah. Perhaps this was a bit too adult for Anya, Yor thought to herself immediately. She failed to notice the little girl's head shoot up a moment later. The little girl blinked, looked at her mama, then at the TV. Not having noticed at first, after gleaning her mama's inner monologue, Anya quickly realized the show on TV was the same one Becky would gush about all the time at school. The thought was an intriguing one; this was the soap opera that always gave her friend weird ideas about boys and girls (and also, weirdly, her papa). She wondered what all the fuss was about.

"Can I sit with you, mama?" Anya asked absently. Her eyes were still glued to the TV.

"Of course," Yor replied sweetly. "Here, let me just change the channel real quick. I'm sure you want to watch cartoons."

Before Yor could get up, Anya rose to her feet and clamored over to the couch. She shook her head. "No, that's okay. I wanna watch your show with you."

Yor flinched. She didn't feel entirely comfortable watching a grown-up show with her daughter, but any protests were silenced before she could even speak them. Anya quickly assumed her position in-between mama's legs and used the woman as her pillow. Yor was stiff for a moment, though eased almost immediately. She was quick to relent at her daughter's cuddling, and figured to herself that if things got a bit too heavy on the subject matter she could always just get up and change the channel. Before she knew it the two of them were comfy, both focused on watching _Berlint in Love._

 _"...I never intended to, I just got caught up in the moment..."_ The man defended himself. _"...Besides, you and I aren't even a real couple!..."_

Anya stroked her chin inquisitively. Her eyes narrowed at the TV. "What are they talking about, mama?"

Yor short-circuited for a moment. She knew this was a bad idea. "Um...that man kissed someone he shouldn't have."

Anya made an "Ah" face, accepting her mother's answer without question. It certainly sounded like as good an answer as any, and besides it didn't really matter to her anyway. Yor meanwhile sighed in relief, clearly thankful for having just dodged a bullet. She had half a mind to just get up right then and there to flip the TV over to Spy Wars, but Anya anchored her firmly to the couch. As if that wasn't bad enough, Bond wandered over next to them both and laid down right at the foot of the couch. His large body blocked them both in and further cemented their positions. She was stuck.

Having no choice in the matter, Yor settled in with Anya and together the three of them watched the drama play out on TV. From what Yor could gather, the man and woman were engaged. Apparently there was a whole other story going on with that (something about marrying for appearances sake, typical soap opera nonsense) and now, just as they were getting used to each other, another woman had come out of the woodwork. The plot was contrived, over done, and boring...and Yor couldn't pry her eyes away from it. Anya as well, and the two of them watched together in silence.

 _"...So when you went out for groceries, you were really seeing her? Is that it?..."_ Angry tears ran down the woman's face.

 _"...I owe you no answer..."_ The man waved his hand, and the woman gasped. _"...If you really think that, then fine. That's what I was doing!..."_

Anya gasped louder than the soap opera lady. She gaped incredulously and pointed to the TV while looking back at mama, as if to say " _Can you believe him?"_ Yor gazed in similar disbelief and shook her head. She pulled her daughter in closer as the latter snatched up one of the pillows. Yor held Anya, and Anya held the cushion. They curled up and continued to watch the drama unfold.

 _"...We both knew what this was..."_ The man growled.

The woman's fists curled at her side. _"...But all the time we've spent together, I thought...!"_

 _"...Never once did you return my advances..."_ He spun around melodramatically. _"...I'm a man with needs. You spurned me, so I looked elsewhere..."_

Yor's eyes grew wide. She stared as the woman begged her other to say, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. The man said nothing more before leaving. The door slammed shut behind him, leaving his ex-fiance there to cry by herself in their home. Suddenly, Yor felt the tiniest drops of salt water eke out from the corner of eyes. She caught herself immediately, but nothing came of it; tears continued to mount as she glanced down at her daughter. To her absolute horror, Anya held a similar expression on her face. The little girl looked up at her with trembling lips.

"S-so, are they not married anymore!?" Anya asked shakily.

Yor sniffed and steeled herself. She shook her head. "I'm going to change the channel-"

"-No!" Anya countered adamantly. Yor froze mid-rise and blinked in confusion. "I wanna see what happens next!"

Taken aback, Yor wrestled with herself over whether not to oblige her daughter. Her lips disappeared as she reluctantly nodded a moment later. Yor settled back into place, only this time she held Anya as tightly as possible. The little girl held her cushion, and together they waited in reluctant anticipation as the credits rolled into the next episode. Despite what a clearly bad idea this entire thing was, Yor couldn't stop it. Anya was just as invested as she was into the story, though her reasons were very, _very_ different for wanting to see how everything ended.

Yor wasn't sharp; she didn't consider herself as much, not like her husband. Things constantly went over her head and she knew that, but on this particular occasion she was more than aware of the similarities between her own situation and the woman's. That...wasn't to say everything was the same, of course. Loid held no feelings for her, and she him. Their relationship was completely different from the soap opera couple's, but this other woman that had entered their life- an old flame, fake or not- resonated with Yor more than she would have liked to admit.

How would the man and woman overcome such an obstacle? Would they get back together? The wedding was off, their potential future together shredded by someone who didn't know to leave well enough alone. Yor felt her tears return as the next episode opened with the woman not having seen her fiance in days. He left without so much as taking a change of clothes with him, meaning he clearly had other prospects elsewhere. She sat in the living room and stared at the spot where her betrothed used to sit; cold and empty just like the rest of their apartment together.

At a certain point, Yor practically forgot Anya was there with her. Of course she continued to hold her daughter close and the latter watched in enthralled silence along with her mama, but Yor was too caught up in the private soap opera going on in her head to care. Had Anya not been so glued to the TV and took a moment to glance back at mama, she would have seen a similar scene playing out in the woman's thoughts; Yor standing there as Loid came back from "Franky's", a guilty look in his eyes as he informed his fake wife that their arrangement would no longer be so.

A stupid idea. She was dumb for even entertaining such a thought, though the focus wasn't so much on Karen being a cheap fling (the nerve) but rather...well, how long would Loid be her husband? He needed a wife for appearances sake, but she could barely even keep up the appearance of one. That incident in the park had proven to both of them as much. Not only that, but the man's words from the TV started to bounce around and echo in her head; _I'm a man with needs._

What was she even supposed to do about _that?_ That...wasn't even... _w_ _hy was she even thinking about **that?**_

Her internal struggle continued for the better half of the night. As one scene after another played out in front of the Forger women, Yor felt her eyes get puffier and puffier. She occasionally sniffed to keep from getting tears on her daughter, though the latter had no qualms about getting her pillow soaking wet. As the woman on TV slowly spiraled and eventually came to terms with the fact that the man she loved and now moved on, the darkness outside grew even darker. Time escaped them as one episode turned into two, two into three.

By the end of the third, things seemed grim. The man announced his new engagement to his high-school sweetheart and his ex-fiance was at her lowest point. Credits rolled, and the theme song started playing to signal the start of the next episode. It opened up on the day of the wedding, and the woman stood in front of the church. She gulped and committed herself to some unspoken plan, and it was at that point Bond suddenly picked his head up. Unnoticed by Yor and Anya, he sniffed at the air before rising to his feet. When the dog gave a quick boof, the girls finally looked over to see him zooming towards the door. Immediately, they scrambled when the familiar jingle of keys rang out from the other side.

Anya made a b-line to go see papa. Yor hesitated for a moment. She watched as the door opened and her husband entered with a white bag in his hands. The scent of baked goods immediately filled the room and he held onto the bag tightly in order to not drop it at the sudden jolt of Anya's forceful hug. She jumped at his legs and wrapped her arms around him tight, causing the man to sputter.

"Papa!" she exclaimed desperately. Her face was flushed and scrunched.

Loid raised a brow; she must have been really excited for some cake. "Nice to see you, too, Anya."

The little girl gazed up at him with a pointed look on her face. "Don't you ever go looking somewhere else for your needs!"

 _"Excuse me?"_ Loid gawked. He had no idea what Anya was talking about, and part of him felt like he didn't want to know in the first place.

Loid looked over at his wife in the hopes that she'd clarify, but all that ended up doing was making him even more confused. He paused for a moment as he caught her getting up from the couch. Yor wiped water away from her face. Her cheeks were even more red than Anya's and for a moment Loid's heart skipped a beat thinking something had happened. He tensed up, and then just as quickly went limp when Yor met him in a flash. She joined Anya; for the first time, Loid felt his wife wrap her arms around his torso. She buried her face in his chest. He froze.

"Loid, I promise I'll do my best!" Yor sniffed into him. She squeezed her husband tighter. "So...please, promise me you won't go!"

Completely lost and confused, Loid just stood there and blinked as thoughts failed him. Anya nailed him to the floor. Yor's insane strength pinned his arms and very nearly smooshed their dessert. Bond meanwhile circled all three of them excitedly, and Loid didn't know what to make out of any of it. He opened his mouth to say something, but there was no ready-made script for him to draw from. Another first; he was thoroughly vexed. Whatever had happened while he was gone, it definitely left an impression on the two of them.

"...I'm not going anywhere," he eased hesitantly. "I already bought the cakes on my way back...?"

Loid tried to squirm his arms out from under him, but no dice. If he could, he would have had half a mind to hug them both back; the most he could manage however was to just reluctantly accept his family's embrace as they squeezed him tighter. The sounds of their continued sniffling concerned him, though their mutual silence gave him the impression that whatever was making them act this way clearly wasn't serious. _Berlint in Love_ played on in the background, though the combined distraction of his wife and daughter kept Loid oblivious to it all.

Yor and Anya continued to hang onto papa as the woman on TV interrupted her former fiance's wedding.

 _"...I love you!..."_ she tearfully admitted in front of the sea of people. The groom stared at her, speechless. _"...From the moment we met, I've always loved you!..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of those chapters where you have no idea what to write, and then all of a sudden it's miraculously done. Hopefully it was a good read. Next chapter may or may not be the last, just depends if I can fit everything into one chapter or not. Either way, thank you for reading!


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